Mat flexibility gauging device



July 20, 1965 R. T. MARSHALL l 3,195,348

MAT FLEXIBILITY GAUGI-NG DEVICE Filed Oct. 22. 1962 lluumlnmmull|||||||||||| UU INVENTOR Rayma/2a ZMa/'s/fav/ I 4c v l 7; raz/Ms.

United States Patent O 3,195,348 MAT FLEXIBILITY GAUGING DEVICE Raymond T. Marshall, Kansas ity, Mo., assignor to Giustini-Bacon Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed 9ct. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 231,893 6 Claims. (Cl. '7S-161B) This invention deals generally with the evaluation of certain physical properties of mats made of bonded fibrous material, and it relates more particularly t-o apparatus for gauging the softness and flexibility of the mat.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide apparatus which is so constructed that accurate and consistent measurement of the softness and flexibility of a given mat can be obtained with a minimum of effort and despite variations in surface texture in the respective mats that are being subjected to such measurement.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character described which lends itself readily to obtaining measurement in mats having different thicknesses without requiring any changes in the apparatus other than a simple adjustment of the location of certain of the mat-contacting elements.

Still another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character described which is of rugged construction, which can be operated with ease and facility, and which requires little or no skill or training for successful use.

Other and further objects of the invention together with the features of novelty appurtenant thereto will appear in the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing which forms a part of the specification and is to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals indicate like parts in the various views:

FIG. 1 is a top plan View of a typical device embodying the invention, parts being broken away and in section for purposes of illustration;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the device;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows, the mat here being shown -in solid lines;

FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary view looking endwise toward one of the mat-contacting elements;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken generally along line 5 5 of FIG. 4 in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. l, 2 and 6, in its preferred form the device has a dat horizontal bed 10 supported on suitable feet 11. At one end of bed 10 are located ya pair of laterally spaced uprights 12. These are bolted as at 13 to ears or flanges 14 formed integral with the bed. A horizontal tie rod 15 extends between and braces the uprights 12. The tie rod has threaded reduceddiameter in portions 15a which extend through suitable apertures in the uprights and recieve at their outer ends nuts 16. The tie rod, in addition to its bracing function, also serves as a convenient hand grip which may be utilized in moving the device from one location to another.

Positioned above and spaced from the bed lil is a movable head or platen member 17, having a lower horizontal surface 17a and spaced, parallel upright side flanges 17h. The member 17 -is supported from the uprights 12 by a parallelogram linkage now to be described.

Extending upwardly from member 17 near opposite edges thereof are the vertical hangers 18. These may be bolted as at 18a to the side flanges 1711. The hangers 18 are carried at the outer end of two superposed swinglbi Patented July 20, 1965 "ice ing frames, the upper frame having the spaced parallel side members 19 .and 20. The latter are secured together at their opposite ends by cross-pieces 21 and 22 respectively. The ends of cross-pieces 22 are provided with stub axles 22a which are journaled for rotation fin suitable bearings 23 provided in and carried by uprights 12 near the upper ends thereof. In similar fashion, the ends of cross-pieces 21 are provided with stub axles 21a journaled in bearings 2d located near the upper ends of the hangers 18.

The lower frame has the parallel side members 25, 26 similar to the side members of the upper frame except that they are longer and extend beyond the uprights 12. The cross-pieces 27, 23 of the lower frame respectively have stub axles 27a, 28a journaled in bearings 29, 30 in the hangers 13 and uprights 12. The extending portions of side members 25, 26 support therebetween a counterweight 31. The counterweight is threadedly mounted for fore and aft adjustment on a threaded rod 32. The rod 32 is supported at its'ends by securing them to crosspieces 33, 34 secured inturn to and supported on the side members 25, 26.

It will be evident from the foregoing that the upper and lower frames are arranged and supported to swing in unison about the pivot axes defined by axles 22a, 28a remaining parallel to one another and maintaining the axles 21a, 27a in Vertical alignment. Thus, as member 17 is raised or lowered, its lower surface always remains parallel with the surface of bed 10.

|Turning now to FIGS-2 5 inclusive, supported on bed 1t) is a plate-like member 35 having on its upper surface two spaced parallel rows of upright projections or fingers 36, the rows being oriented generally parallel with the pivot axes of the support mechanism. As seen in FIG. 3, the pr-ojections in each row are spaced uniformly, there being in the preferred device four such fingers or projections in each row on the plate member 35. The fingers are each preferably provided with rounded tip portions which merge into a rectangular shank and are of uniform height. They are secured to the plate member by screws having countersunk heads 37, the screws extending through the plate member 35 from the underside and threaded into suitable tapped bores in the lingers.

Again referring to FIG. 3, it will be seen that the width of plate member 35 is slightly greater than that of bed 1t). Secured to the opposite projecting edges of the plate as by bolts 33, are depending flanges 38. The flanges 39 have threaded therethrough-set bolts 40 which are tightened against the adjacent sides of the bed 10 to immobilize the plate member and projection in a selected position on the bed.

A plate member 40 similar to plate member 35 is mounted to the underside of platen member 17 and secured thereto in identical fashion. Thus, it has flanges 41 carrying threaded set bolts 42 which are tightened against the confronting sides of the member 17. Plate 40 carries two rows of downwardly extending projections 43 identical to and mounted on member 40 in the same manner as projections 36 on the lower plate member 35. It will be noted, however, that while the upper and lower rows are in substantially vertical alignment, the projection 42 in the upper rows are staggered so that they lie spatially between the projections 36 and equidistant therefrom. Preferably the upper rows contain only three projections or fingers.

Returning again to FIG. 5 and also with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be observed that extending Vertically between the near side members Ztl, 26 is a Vertical link 44. The link 44 is pivotally connected near its opposite ends with said side members by shoulder bolts 45. The link is operably connected with a dial indicator 46 mounted to the near upright 12 by a bracket and bolt 47. The indicator is of conventional construction hav- .i

ing a plunger 43 whose axial movement is registered ,on the dial. The end of the plunger rides on the at upper end of link d4 and, consequently, it rnoves'therewith.V Ito` will -be un-derstood that the dial is calibrated in increments proportioned to the spacing between bed 1Q and the platen member 17.

In the operation of the invention,y the counterweight is adjusted so that-the platen member 17.re1nains stationary in a position spaced suiiiciently above the bed l0 that a specimen M of mat (shown in broken lines in FIG. 2) can be freely inserted in' fiat condition between the upper and lower lingers with the tips `of the respective fingers then brought down upon and lightly contacting the opposite faces of the mat. vCare should be taken to so position the upper and lower rows of'ingers on their respective supp-Orts (bed l0 and platen 17) that the rows are in verticalA alignment. The reading at this time on the dial is noted and this is used as the "O reading.

y With Vthe mat in position between the lingers, a predetermined weight W is then placed on3the platen member 17. This weight may -be otany arbitrarily selected value depending on the character of the mat with par.

ticular reference to its density and dimensional stability. i

A suiliciently heavy weight to obtain appreciable deiec tion in a very stiff mat should be used where the latter is the subject of the evaluation.

As shown inFIG. 3, under thek load imposed by the Weight, the mat is deiiectedfrom its iiat condition with a concurrent closing of platen member 17 toward the 'f bed It?. The displacement of the platen will be registered on and can be read from the dial and the ilexibility or softi ness of the'sample thus obtained.

While I have shown the use of staggered lingers to obtainthe flexing resistance of the mat, it will be apparent that other forms of contacting elements such as staggered bars could be used.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invenf tion` is one well adapted to. attain `all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and ,which are inherent to theft structure.

"It will be understood that .certain features .and subcombinations are of utility and maybe employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated byzand is within the scope of the claims.

As many possible embodiments may be .made of the invention without departingjfrom the: scope thereof, itl

of a fibrous mat, said apparatus comprising a stationary'` lower mat support bed having a plurality of upwardly projecting mat supp-ort members upon which saidmat can be placed with one face of the mat resting upon and supported by said support members, an upper mat contacting member having a pluralityjof downwardly extending` t pressure members, said pressure members being oliset from said support members whereby to Contact, the upper surface of the mat .at points intermediate .the support members, 1 eans supporting said upper mat contacting member for up and down movement relative .to said support bed, saidmeans `including mechanism operable to maintain the upper'rnat contacting member parallel with said supportV bed during said up and down movement, means for controlling the pressure exertedby said pressureV member on the upper surrace Vof the panel, and gauge means operable to measure the deflection of said upperv mat contactingmember from a predetermined position.

l 2 Apparatus as in claim 1 including .means mounting said pressure members to said upper mat contacting membery for selective dispiacernent :of said pressure members parallel with said upper mat contacting member.

3. Apparatus for evaluating the softness'and flexibility of a iibrous mat, said apparatus comprising'a bed with uprights atv one .end thereof, avertically'm-ovable platen member spaced above said bed andr generally parallel therewith, arm members connected with said uprights and supporting said platen member for up and down movement with respect to said bedysaid arm members arranged to maintain said platen member substantially parallel with said vbeddnring said movement, isaid platenmember and bed each including a plurality yof confronting oppositely directed projections for contacting opposite faces of a matV placed therebetween with` theV projection onv said platen member offset from thoseof the bed, means for gravity biasing said platen member downwardly toward said bed and sensing means cooperating-with said platen member and' operable to measure they deection of said platen member from a preselected position.l

4. Apparatus as in claimfS including means connecting at least one group of said projectionswith theirv associated platen vrnembervand bed for selective displacement transverse to the direction of movement ofsaid platen member.`

' 5. Apparatus for evaluating the softness and iiexibility ofl a fibrous mat, said apparatus comprising a pair of substantially parallelmembers having confronting faces normally spaced from'one another insubstantially parallel relationship, a `plurality of projections extendingfrom each said face toward the otherv face, said projections on one face being offset from those of the other: face, means supporting Aone ofk said members for movement toward and away from the other member, means operable to supply a force on one member tending to move it toward -the other member, and sensing means operable to register the relativemovement between said members under the influence of said. force. Y

6. Apparatus as in claim 5 including means connecting the projections on at least one of said members with said member for selective adjustment on the member in a direction transverse to the direction of said movement.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,404,584 Y 7/64v Liska et al. n 73-100 X RICHARD c; Queissnn,l Primary Examiner. JOSEPH P. STRIZAK, Examiner. i 

5. APPARATUS FOR EVALUATING THE SOFTNESS AND FLEXIBILITY OF A FIBROUS MAT, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL MEMBERS HAVING CONFRONTING FACES NORMALLY SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER IN SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP, A PLURALITY OF PROJECTIONS EXTENDING FROM EACH SAID FACE TOWARD THE OTHER FACE, SAID PROJECTIONS ON ONE FACE BEING OFFSET FROM THOSE OF THE OTHER FACE, MEANS SUPPORTING ONE OF SAID MEMBERS FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE OTHER MEMBER, MEANS OPERABLE TO SUPPLY A FORCE ON ONE MEMBER TENDING TO MOVE IT TOWARD THE OTHER MEMBER, AND SENSING MEANS OPERABLE TO REGISTER THE RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID MEMBERS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF SAID FORCE. 